DECRYPTION OF PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND FORWARDING METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

An Internet Protocol-compatible network element (100) provides PIN encryption key information to a PIN enabled device (102) and then receives from that PIN enabled device a message that comprises both information regarding a transaction to be authorized as well as encrypted information that comprises a corresponding PIN that has been encrypted using the PIN encryption key information. The Internet Protocol-compatible network element then decrypts the encrypted information to provide a recovered PIN and forwards the information regarding the transaction along with the recovered PIN to a transaction authorization host (103) that comprises a discrete network element with respect to the Internet Protocol-compatible network element.